‘Big data’ has become the catchcry of many data scientists and researchers in recent years. It’s also become increasingly used in economics. However, by itself the analysis of big data doesn’t provide anything but big data correlations. Even when big datasets are available, there is still a place for randomised controlled trials (RCTs). That is…
Andrew Leigh on big data vs. randomised controlled trials
Andrew Leigh on big data vs. randomised controlled trials
20 Nov 2025 Leave a comment
in econometerics, history of economic thought
Quotation of the Day…
19 Nov 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, history of economic thought, income redistribution, industrial organisation, international economics, Milton Friedman, politics - USA, Public Choice, rentseeking Tags: free trade, tariffs
Tweet… is from page 158 of Milton Friedman’s 1953 paper “The Case for Flexible Exchange Rates,” as this paper is reprinted in Friedman’s 1953 collection, Essays in Positive Economics: In brief, it [free trade] is desirable in its own right as one of the basic freedoms we cherish; it promotes the efficient use of resources…
Quotation of the Day…
50 years of economic progress – but are New Zealand households better off?
18 Nov 2025 Leave a comment
in econometerics, economic history Tags: housing affordability, The Great Enrichment
Wayne Jackson writes – The 50th anniversary of New Zealand’s Household Economic Survey (HES) provides a unique vantage point to assess how far households have come in terms of income, expenditure, and wealth accumulation. Comparing 1974 with 2024 reveals a story of rising prosperity, shifting household structures, and widening disparities. From dual‑income households to skyrocketing […]
50 years of economic progress – but are New Zealand households better off?
Triggernometry debates sex with Neil deGrasse Tyson
18 Nov 2025 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economics of crime, economics of education, gender, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights Tags: free speech, gender gap, political correctness, regressive left, sex discrimination
Here we have the Triggernometry duo (Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster) questioning astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson about his views on gender (the full interview is here). Tyson seems quite agitated, loud, and even patronizing, but largely misses the points that gender-critical people are making. For example, he begins with his infamous argument that sex (or gender; he…
Triggernometry debates sex with Neil deGrasse Tyson
Justice by tikanga? Not for Kapa-Kingi, she prefers the colonial courts
17 Nov 2025 1 Comment
It is pretty funny to watch Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, the ousted Te Pāti Māori MP, trot off to the courts to challenge her expulsion from the party.
Justice by tikanga? Not for Kapa-Kingi, she prefers the colonial courts
The Last Gasp of the Climate Thought Police
17 Nov 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of climate change, energy economics, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming, politics - USA Tags: climate alarmism, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
Climate cancelling had a good run — but my Cornell lecture showed its finally over
The Last Gasp of the Climate Thought Police
Trump Announces Defamation Lawsuit Against BBC
16 Nov 2025 Leave a comment
in politics - USA Tags: free speech, media bias, regressive left
President Donald Trump on Friday announced that he plans to file a defamation lawsuit against the BBC for up to…
Trump Announces Defamation Lawsuit Against BBC
Ten Years After the Paris Climate Agreement, Climatism is Crumbling
16 Nov 2025 1 Comment
in economics of climate change, energy economics, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming
From the political scene to the continued growth of hydrocarbon energy, the global climate consensus and the push for Net Zero is crumbling. It’s time for nations to return to sensible energy policy.
Ten Years After the Paris Climate Agreement, Climatism is Crumbling
Armistice – But Peace? I THE GREAT WAR Week 225
15 Nov 2025 Leave a comment
in defence economics, laws of war, war and peace Tags: World War I
*The Science of Second Chances*
15 Nov 2025 Leave a comment
The author is economist Jennifer Doleac, and the subtitle is A Revolution in Criminal Justice. Excerpt: We found that adding anyone charged with a felony to the law enforcement DNA database in Denmark reduced future criminal convictions by over 40 percent. Again, people responded to the higher probability of getting caught by committing fewer cimres. …
*The Science of Second Chances*
*The Science of Second Chances*
15 Nov 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of crime, economics of education, human capital, labour economics, labour supply, law and economics, occupational choice Tags: criminal deterrence
The author is economist Jennifer Doleac, and the subtitle is A Revolution in Criminal Justice. Excerpt: We found that adding anyone charged with a felony to the law enforcement DNA database in Denmark reduced future criminal convictions by over 40 percent. Again, people responded to the higher probability of getting caught by committing fewer cimres. …
*The Science of Second Chances*
Aussie Mainstream Opposition Formally Abandons Net Zero
15 Nov 2025 1 Comment
in economics of climate change, economics of natural disasters, energy economics, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming, politics - Australia
But still wants to stay in the Paris Agreement?
Aussie Mainstream Opposition Formally Abandons Net Zero
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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